Returning to the Mysterious Era

"What's Soul Power?" Duomo asked, clearly unfamiliar with the term.

Cassius smiled slightly. "How old do you think I am?"

"Thirty-five? Thirty? Twenty-eight?" Cassius shook his head slightly at each of Duomo's suggestions. Duomo’s eyes widened in disbelief. "You’re not over forty, are you?"

So, this Soul Power really works, huh? Does it help to maintain physical functions as well as a youthful appearance? Duomo's imagination was running wild, but it seemed like a reasonable hypothesis to him.

Cassius shook his head slightly, exasperated. "Back at Mirror Lake, when we first sparred, didn’t you say I hadn’t even reached thirty? Guess younger."

"No way. Are you saying you’re under twenty-five?!"

"Twenty-four."

Duomo was so shocked that his eyes were practically falling out of its sockets. After their last two encounters, he realized Cassius's strength was on par with his, if not slightly better. Duomo himself was a prodigy, trained by the Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect since he was a child. Now at thirty-one, he had reached the limit of the second-level accelerated blood flow and was just a step away from breaking through the bottleneck and advancing to the pugilist level.

When that happened, the three nodes of accelerated blood flow would form a stable loop, allowing his energy and blood to remain robust. This prevented a Covert Martial Artist from declining with age, slowing the loss of energy and blood.

Typically, this decline began around the age of thirty-five. A Covert Martial Artist had to reach the pugilist level before then if they wanted to continue progressing and unlocking the mysteries of even higher levels in the years to come.

At thirty-one, Duomo had already achieved significant success and was considered a top talent in his sect. But here stood Cassius who, at just twenty-four, was already on equal footing with him and was seven years younger than him to boot!

This guy was no prodigy; he was a monster.

After breaking through to the superhuman level, it took an immense amount of time and effort to make even one step forward. Duomo had reached the second-level accelerated blood flow at twenty-five, but it took him six years to reach the bottleneck and that was with natural talent and ample resources.

Duomo’s face reflected his shock as he exhaled deeply. "Have you mutated?! Can I check your bone age?"

I haven’t mutated; I’ve just been given a cheat… Cassius thought inwardly, but outwardly he extended his sturdy arm. Twilight’s bone age indeed showed him as twenty-four.

He wasn’t lying.

Duomo pressed his arm for a moment longer before pulling his hand back in disbelief. His eyes did not leave Cassius, as if trying to dig out some hidden truth.

Duomo’s heart burned with curiosity. "So, you managed to reach the limit of the second-level accelerated blood flow at such a young age. Does this have something to do with Soul Power?"

"Yes." Cassius nodded slightly. "But you're wrong about one thing. I’m not at the second level—I’m at the third!" His eyes turned blood-red in an instant, and countless tiny blood vessels spread through his pupils like a spider’s web.

Under the gaze of those blood-red eyes, Duomo felt as if he were being stared down by a dangerous—extremely dangerous—top predator.

Damn! He cursed inwardly. It turned out he wasn’t even on the same level. The difference between them was a mere single node…

If they were to ever fight in a life-and-death battle, Duomo wouldn’t stand a chance.

Half an hour later, Duomo’s handsome face reflected five parts shock, three parts desire, one part curiosity, and one part confusion.

Soul Power could enhance the three-dimensional attributes of a Covert Martial Artist’s physique, including but not limited to strength, speed, and defense. It could also enhance the Secret Techniques the user had mastered simply by recalling how they had trained those techniques while they consumed Soul Power.

Soul Power would circulate within the body hundreds of times on its own and gradually deplete before accelerating and instantly enhancing the user’s abilities.

This was a super training accelerator!

As long as one's control over their strength was in place, their physique could reach its peak! This was an absolute godsend for those geniuses whose fist techniques exceeded their physique. But it wasn't them who stood to gain the most from Soul Power; it was the aging martial arts masters and elders of the sects whose energy and blood had declined, leading to a drop in their level.

Because of their age, the three nodes’ cycle could no longer prevent the loss of energy and blood. Despite decades of accumulated expertise in fist techniques, their combat power had significantly diminished. Regardless of how skilled they were, their potential would be limited if they didn't have the body to keep up. This was the sorrow that Covert Martial Artists faced as they aged.

But now, an opportunity had presented itself. Soul Power, a miraculous force, had the capability to push the user’s physique to its limits! What did this mean for those old masters? A second chance at life? A revitalization of their strength? The opportunity to climb the martial arts ladder once more in their old age?

Damn, if the elders of the sects heard about Soul Power, they'd go mad! What a terrifying prospect…

Duomo suddenly thought of his master, who now looked like a frail old man but had been as strong as a bear twenty years ago. Dubbed the Evil Lion, he was known for his fierce, domineering personality and had been a ferocious fighter who dominated several northern counties in his youth.

As his energy and blood began to decline, he gradually reined in his temper, becoming the seemingly kind old man he was today. Duomo had personally witnessed this transformation, having received many beatings as a child.

If his master were to use Soul Power and return to his peak, the terrifying and domineering Evil Lion would return, stronger than before! With over twenty years of self-discipline, his fist techniques had reached new heights, which meant if the Evil Lion were to make a comeback now, he would be even more powerful and commanding.

Duomo took a deep breath. He couldn't help feeling an intense horror at the thought.

He didn’t think Cassius was lying because everything he said seemed utterly sincere. Moreover, his tone suggested a willingness to cooperate. Regardless, both sides had to verify each other's truths and build trust in the future.

Meanwhile, Cassius stood quietly, waiting for Duomo to digest the information while he examined the shield mark on the back of his hand. When Cassius had disclosed information about Black Rain Manor to Duomo earlier, he had noticed the shield mark on his hand kept flickering.

Vaguely, he sensed danger was incoming. But just as this feeling emerged, something blocked and severed it. It was as if some presence had cut off the connection between Black Rain Manor and the mark. Cassius considered the possibilities.

He suspected that the ancient ruins they were in might just automatically block such connections, which may explain why Black Rain Manor had been unable to locate the Akaba ruins after all these years.

There could be a whole host of reasons though. The shadow in the mist, the Rune of Wisdom, and so on…

As they continued down the passage, Cassius and Duomo began discussing the details of a potential collaboration. Though neither had committed to working together yet, it didn’t stop them from laying out some terms and specific details.

More than an hour passed.

Two figures darted forward in a narrow passageway, their cloaks billowing out and whipping around the bend. Moments later, a pack of two-headed bone dogs with transparent manes charged in. As soon as their forelimbs touched the ground, they flashed forward several meters.

Half an hour later, in a cavern with a trickling stream, Cassius whipped around and punched a stone statue in the chest with an iron fist, sending a surge of power through it. Using the recoil, he quickly spun and darted into a nearby passage.

There, Duomo’s tall figure waited. As soon as he saw Cassius, Duomo turned and sprinted, only stopping after they had run a good distance. Duomo handed over a Blood Race member, and Cassius took it with his left hand, transferring to his right hand with a brief thought.

"How far to the exit?" he asked, looking down.

"Very close, no more than half an hour," the Blood Race youth mumbled, not daring to meet Cassius's eyes.

Cassius and Duomo exchanged a glance. "Alright, let’s go."

They set off together. Ten minutes later, Duomo and Cassius halted at a corner of the passage, their eyes scanning the space around them.

The layout felt familiar to Cassius, reminiscent of the place where he had encountered the sacred scarab. It was a massive, cylindrical cavity with gray-white walls with countless small triangular holes dotting its surface, all too small for a person to pass through.

Below was a pool, inside of which were black, elongated objects piled neatly together. On the right side, isolated steps hovered, attached to the wall, and looked quite precarious. A single misstep could send someone plummeting nearly a hundred meters, resulting in nothing but a splattered goop on the ground.

Duomo glanced at Cassius, who nodded in response.

Immediately, the two of them began to descend the gray-white platforms protruding from the wall, moving at a steady, controlled pace. A minute later, Cassius and Duomo reached the ground.

"Hmm?"

They looked down to find several thick grooves running through the ground, a dark red liquid flowing inside. The liquid was extremely viscous, and though it resembled blood, it was devoid of any smells.

Duomo crouched down, dipped a finger in, and examined it. "It’s blood, probably specially treated."

Cassius frowned, his eyes following the groove to the left. It was connected to the wall, indicating a passage within the wall itself. Looking to the right, countless grooves, resembling a spider's web, converged toward a central square pool on the ground.

As they approached, they realized that the black rectangular objects submerged in the water were neatly arranged coffins. The coffins were entirely immersed in blood, with bubbles rising from the gaps as if something inside was drinking the liquid.

"Great Immortals… followers of the blood… I beseech your response… Blood is honey, blood is a curse, blood is poison…" The young Blood Race member under Cassius’s right arm was murmuring softly, his right finger dripping blood continuously. He had bitten it open.

"What are you doing?!" Cassius reacted instantly, knocking the youth unconscious with a swift hand chop. But he couldn't stop the strange phenomenon in the pool not far away.

The blood within the pool started to gurgle as if it were boiling, and the bubbling sounds from the gaps in the coffins crescendoed. It felt as though a terrifying aura was awakening, giving birth to pure malevolent intent and willpower!

Cassius and Duomo shuddered, sensing that some evil presence was watching them. They dazedly felt as if the massive shadow of a black bat loomed over them. The hideous face, half-human, half-bat, opened its huge mouth, fangs bared. The giant mouth descended, engulfing everything from top to bottom.

Cassius’s body trembled violently. His muscles bulged ferociously in an instant, his joints cracking audibly. A massive wave of heat spread throughout his body, and his blood vessels pulsed like steel wires.

He jerked his head up, his eyes blood-red. Thick veins crawled across half of his face like tiny serpents. The bat illusion vanished, about several dozen meters away.

A coffin in the blood pool opened, and an elegantly dressed figure emerged—a slender man with a slightly pale complexion, holding a cane. Blood-red steam constantly rose from his body, his aura rapidly dispersing outward.

Even from afar, Cassius could smell the terrifying, dark, and evil scent—a blood energy far beyond that of the direct descendants of the Alphama bloodline. It felt heavy, ancient, and decayed, like an abyss.

"Damn it!" When Cassius felt the overwhelming pressure of the aura, he knew this Blood Race member was not someone he could fight. "Run." Cassius elbowed Duomo, waking him up.

Duomo snapped out of his daze, blurting out, "Shit!"

Whoosh!

A black and red shadow appeared in front of Cassius in an instant. A pale, slender hand reached out, expanding and transforming inch by inch into a claw as thick as a tree trunk! It was covered in a layer of thick, blood-red fur.

"Stone Armor Technique!"

Cassius's entire body trembled as he quickly activated his hardened Qigong, which had reached its pinnacle. His skin seemed to be encased in a layer of stone armor, the thick, rock-like white giving him the appearance of a marble pillar.

Boom!

The claw smashed hard into Cassius's chest.

Whoosh!

Cassius flew through the air as if he had been hit by a speeding train, his vision blurring rapidly. He could feel his chest creaking, his muscles ripping apart in waves of excruciating pain. Finally, he crashed into the rock wall with a heavy thud, dust falling on his head.

"Ugh!"He spat out a mouthful of blood. There were obvious signs of denting on the hard surface of his chest, with spiderweb-like cracks spreading across his skin. Cassius knew that two of his ribs were broken.

One strike, and it nearly killed him!

Boom!

A figure was sent flying, smashing into the rock wall next to Cassius. Duomo also spat out blood.

"Cassius, this Blood Race member doesn't seem to have fully recovered yet, and seems to be significantly limited in what it can do. Although its physical strength far surpasses ours, it's moving slower, and it's not reacting as quickly," Duomo warned, blood dribbling out as he spoke. "Don’t try to fight it head-on—damn it!"

It was only then that Duomo noticed Cassius had already disappeared. The last thing he saw was a glimpse of a corner of Cassius's cloak vanishing into an oval-shaped passage three meters away.

"Damn, he already ran away!" Duomo cursed through gritted teeth, but his steps were just as quick. He darted into the nearby passage, moving swiftly.

The Blood Race member stood frozen on the spot, steam still rising from his body. Like a puppet, his expression was blank and lifeless. After a moment, he blinked, and his eyes briefly regained clarity.

"Two insignificant intruders… It shouldn’t take long to deal with them." The man glanced at his smoking body. "I'm losing power too quickly. I have, maybe, half an hour at most…"

He mumbled to himself as he walked forward, casually snatching the unconscious young Blood Race member up from the ground and draining him dry, leaving behind a desiccated corpse. He tossed it aside and wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.

With a powerful push of his legs, he launched himself like a cannonball, using the wall to flip back onto the ground.

"Sigh…" He looked at his hand and sighed.

The passage then echoed with the sound of cannonball-like impacts. Five minutes later, at the top of a sloping passage.

"Azure Wind Flow! Severing Flow!"

A hand chop sliced through the air, creating a white stream that slashed at the approaching claw like a blade. The two collided, stirring up a gust of wind, the opposing forces instantly canceling each other out.

Immediately, several afterimages clashed.

Cassius and Duomo were sent tumbling down the slope. Coughing up blood, they fled in disarray.

The figure stood at the top of the stairs, unmoving. After a brief tremor, his eyes cleared up and his expression darkened. "If it weren't for…" The man narrowed his eyes and leaped down in a single bound.

Eight minutes later, three blurry figures collided. Two were sent flying far away, while the third stood motionless.

Cassius, his body wracked with pain, struggled to his feet. He realized the scene before him looked all too familiar. Glancing to the side, he saw a white fountain gushing water in the center of an oval-shaped space.

"Those scarabs…" Cassius clutched the side pocket of his cloak, his eyes narrowing. "Duomo, I found the way out."

"Cough… Where…? I feel like I'm about to die…" Duomo looked even more battered than Cassius, his body covered in wounds and scratches. There were signs of corrosion at the edges and he was bleeding profusely.

"See those steps on the wall? We need to go up!"

Duomo and Cassius looked up, their gazes locking onto a hole in the wall.

Buzz…

"What is that?" Duomo turned to look at the fountain. The water inside was rippling. Something seemed to be blocking the fountain's spout, halting its flow.

Whoosh!

At that moment, a figure shot out from the passage. The three of them clashed in an instant, claws, fists, and legs flying about. The sound of their limbs slamming into each other echoed loudly.

"Die!"

The man swung a claw at Cassius, who countered with a palm strike. The two forces rammed into each other with a loud smack, sending tremors through Cassius's body. The skin on his entire arm began to crack. Blood seeped out from the crevices.

On the other side, Duomo was also struggling to breathe, with blood spurting from his nostrils.

"Just one more moment of clarity, and they’ll be dead!" The Blood Race member's eyes were gradually losing focus and turning wooden. His time was running out. He raised his hand, puzzled when he noticed something stuck to his palm from his clash with Cassius.

In the center of his palm was a squashed scarab. The corrosive fluid reacted violently with the blood-red energy in his hand, causing steam to rise rapidly.

Shit, it's a scarab!!!

He tried to turn, but his entire body froze. It was like he had turned into a machine that ran on instinct alone, devoid of any consciousness.

Buzz, buzz, buzz… Chirp, chirp, chirp…

A swarm of white scarabs burst out from the fountain, splitting into two groups. One group rushed toward the fleeing Cassius, while the other smothered the Blood Race member’s rigid body.

The corrosive acid they secreted rained down, eating away at the faint red energy enveloping the Blood Race member’s body. A thick pillar of blood-red steam erupted from the cracks, like a balloon losing air, causing the man's right hand to wither and dry up completely. It didn't take long for the remaining energy shrouding his body to also get corroded and split open.

A house-sized pillar of blood-red steam shot into the sky, with terrifying, evil aura and energy leaking out endlessly, forming a mushroom cloud in the air.

Cassius couldn't help but look back as he leaped up the stairs.

The figure, covered in scarabs, trembled violently, as if regaining consciousness. "Aaaaaaaahhhhhh…!!!" A shrill, agonizing scream resonated through the cavity. "No!!!"

The Blood Race’s body convulsed so badly the scarabs were thrown off from his shudders. He staggered toward the passage entrance, but could only make it a few steps before crumpling onto the ground.

The blood-red steam continued to pour out of him as if an invisible demon in the air was sucking it away. The man, now shriveled like a mummy, desperately crawled on the ground, his twig-like hands feebly scraping at the floor. A hissing sound escaped his throat like a balloon leaking air. The steam rising into the sky began to collapse, shrinking from a massive pillar to mere wisps in mere seconds.

This once terrifyingly powerful Blood Race member was being sucked dry. Eventually, his frantic hands stilled.

The white scarabs swarmed over the shriveled corpse in an instant, their corrosive acid eating away at the powerless Blood Race body. Within seconds, all that was left was a black bone fragment the size of an infant.

Cassius, still mid-leap, felt a rush of relief. Suddenly, he noticed the progress bar in the upper-right corner had increased by a chunk.

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